stall
stall — 動詞
1. When a vehicle's engine suddenly stops working, usually by accident; or to make
熄火；引擎熄火
引擎意外停止運轉
When a vehicle's engine suddenly stops working, usually by accident; or to make a vehicle's engine stop this way.
Omar's car stalled at the traffic light, so he had to restart the engine.
Omar 的車子在紅綠燈前熄火了，所以他只好重新發動引擎。
stall (intransitive) — engine stops suddenly
The driving instructor told Yuna not to stall the car by lifting the clutch too fast.
Yuna 的駕訓教練告訴她離合器放太快會讓車子熄火。
stall + car (transitive) — driver causes the stop
On the hill, the old truck stalled twice before reaching the top.
在爬坡時，那輛老卡車熄火了兩次才開到山頂。
- run
engine is operating smoothly
文法句型
stall (intransitive)
stall + object (transitive)
用法筆記
Common in driving contexts. As an intransitive verb, the subject is the engine or vehicle. As a transitive verb, the subject is the driver.
常見錯誤
2. To deliberately take more time than needed to answer or act, often to gain an ad
拖延；拖時間
故意延遲回答或行動
To deliberately take more time than needed to answer or act, often to gain an advantage or avoid giving a direct reply.
When the reporter asked about the scandal, the politician stalled and changed the subject.
當記者問到醜聞時，那位政治人物開始拖延並轉移話題。
stall — avoid answering
Kadek was stalling for time while she figured out the right answer.
Kadek 一邊拖時間，一邊想正確答案。
stall for time — idiom pattern
If the bank calls about the payment, just stall until we get the money next week.
如果銀行打電話來催款，就先拖一下，等我們下週拿到錢再說。
- delay
more neutral; stall implies intentional avoidance
- procrastinate
more formal; usually about avoiding a task, not a question
- answer directly
responding without delay
文法句型
stall (no object)
stall for time
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'for time' — 'stall for time' is a fixed phrase meaning to delay deliberately.
常見錯誤
3. To make someone wait or prevent them from doing something, usually by giving exc
耽擱；拖延
用藉口耽誤某人
To make someone wait or prevent them from doing something, usually by giving excuses or pretending to be busy.
The secretary stalled the visitors by saying the manager was in a meeting.
秘書告訴訪客說經理在開會，以此拖延時間。
stall + person — delay with an excuse
Amara stalled her landlord for a week while she gathered the rent money.
Amara 拖了她房東一個星期，好把房租錢湊齊。
We tried to stall the delivery driver so the surprise party could be set up.
我們想辦法拖住快遞司機，好讓驚喜派對可以布置好。
- speed up
to make something happen faster
文法句型
stall + person
用法筆記
The object is always a person or group. Unlike 'stall for time' (intransitive, sense 2), this sense requires a direct object.
常見錯誤
4. To stop making progress or developing further; to reach a point where movement o
停滯；停頓
進展停滯不前
To stop making progress or developing further; to reach a point where movement or growth ceases.
The peace talks stalled after both sides refused to compromise on the border issue.
和平談判在雙方都拒絕在邊界問題上讓步後陷入了停滯。
stall — negotiations stop progressing
Haruki's career stalled when the company stopped offering training programs.
Haruki 的職涯在公司停止提供培訓課程後就停滯不前了。
Construction on the new hospital stalled because the city ran out of funding.
新醫院的建設因為市政府的經費耗盡而停擺。
- halt
more complete and permanent
- pause
temporary stop, less negative
- grind to a halt
more dramatic, slower process
文法句型
stall (subject: process/plan)
用法筆記
Subject is typically an abstract process (talks, career, project, economy). This sense is intransitive — the process stops by itself or due to external reasons.
5. To deliberately cause an event, project, or process to happen later than planned
延緩；阻礙
故意延後事件或計畫
To deliberately cause an event, project, or process to happen later than planned or to pause its progress.
The committee stalled the vote until more members could attend the meeting.
委員會將投票延後，等到更多成員能出席會議再說。
stall + event — delay a planned event
Priya's visa problems stalled the launch of her new business for three months.
Priya 的簽證問題讓她的新事業延後了三個月才開張。
Bad weather stalled the rescue mission, leaving the hikers stranded overnight.
惡劣天氣耽誤了救援任務，讓登山客在山上困了一整夜。
- expedite
to make happen faster
文法句型
stall + event/project
用法筆記
Object is an event or process, not a person. Distinguish from sense 3 (object is a person) and sense 4 (intransitive — process stops on its own).
常見錯誤
6. To put a farm animal into a separate enclosed space within a stable or barn, or
關入畜欄
將牲畜關進分隔欄
To put a farm animal into a separate enclosed space within a stable or barn, or to keep it there for feeding or resting.
After the long ride, Kwame stalled his horse and made sure it had fresh water.
長途騎乘後，Kwame 把馬關進欄裡並確保牠有乾淨的水喝。
stall + animal — put in a stable compartment
The farmer stalled the cows each evening before milking them.
農夫每天傍晚把乳牛關進分隔欄裡，準備擠奶。
During the winter storm, all the sheep were stalled inside the barn for warmth.
冬季暴風雪來襲時，所有羊都被關在穀倉裡的畜欄中保暖。
文法句型
stall + animal (in stable)
用法筆記
Narrow farming/stable context. Not used for pets or wild animals. Frequently used in passive voice ('the horses were stalled').
7. When an aircraft loses the lift needed to stay in the air because the angle of t
失速；造成失速
飛機因升力不足而失速
When an aircraft loses the lift needed to stay in the air because the angle of the wings is too steep; or for a pilot to cause this to happen.
The small plane stalled during the training exercise, but the instructor quickly regained control.
那架小飛機在訓練演練中失速，但教練很快重新掌握了控制。
stall (intransitive) — aircraft loses lift
New pilots learn how to recognize when a plane is about to stall and how to recover safely.
新飛行員學習如何辨識飛機即將失速的跡象以及如何安全恢復。
The trainee accidentally stalled the aircraft by pulling the nose up too sharply during takeoff.
學員在起飛時將機頭拉得太高，意外導致飛機失速。
文法句型
stall (intransitive — aircraft)
stall + aircraft (transitive — pilot)
用法筆記
Technical term in aviation. The stall does not mean the engine stops — it means the wings stop producing enough lift. Distinguish clearly from sense 1 (engine stall).
常見錯誤
stall — 名詞
1. A small shop or table with an open front, used for selling goods in a market, fa
攤位；貨攤
市場中售貨的開放式攤位
A small shop or table with an open front, used for selling goods in a market, fair, or other public place.
Sofia bought fresh vegetables from a stall at the weekend farmers' market.
Sofia 在週末農夫市集的一個攤位上買了新鮮蔬菜。
stall — a market stand
There is a small flower stall on the corner of Elm Street near the subway station.
地鐵站附近的 Elm 街角有個小花攤。
The market has over fifty stalls selling everything from handmade jewelry to local cheese.
這個市集有超過五十個攤位，從手工首飾到當地乳酪應有盡有。
用法筆記
Very common word at markets, fairs, and festivals. 'Market stall' and 'food stall' are common compound nouns. British English uses this more broadly than American English (where 'stand' or 'booth' is often preferred).
2. A small enclosed area inside a stable or barn where a single farm animal such as
畜欄；獸欄
馬廄或牛舍中的獨立隔間
A small enclosed area inside a stable or barn where a single farm animal such as a horse or cow is kept.
Each horse has its own stall with fresh hay and a water bucket.
每匹馬都有自己的獸欄，裡面有新鮮乾草和一個水桶。
stall — single animal enclosure
Mei-Lin cleaned the cow stalls every morning before the sun came up.
Mei-Lin 每天清晨天還沒亮就清理牛欄。
The mare was resting quietly in her stall after giving birth to a foal.
那匹母馬生下小馬後，靜靜地在自己的獸欄裡休息。
- pen
outdoor enclosure, usually larger
- compartment
more general term
用法筆記
Refers specifically to the compartment, not the whole stable. The whole building is a 'stable' or 'barn'; individual areas inside are 'stalls'.
常見錯誤
3. A space inside a bigger room, created by putting up walls or curtains so that pe
隔間；小隔間
用牆或簾幕隔出的小空間
A space inside a bigger room, created by putting up walls or curtains so that people can use it privately.
The library has private study stalls where students can work without distractions.
圖書館設有個人閱讀隔間，學生可以不受干擾地學習。
study stall — small partitioned area
Ravi changed into his swimsuit in one of the shower stalls at the pool.
Ravi 在游泳池的淋浴間裡換上泳衣。
shower stall — partitioned area for showering
The public restroom had six stalls, but only three were working.
公共廁所有六個隔間，但只有三個可以使用。
- cubicle
more common for office workspaces
- compartment
more general
用法筆記
Common in compounds: 'shower stall', 'toilet stall', 'study stall'. In American English, 'bathroom stall' or 'restroom stall' is very common for toilet cubicles.
4. One of a row of fixed wooden seats with high sides in a church, typically arrang
教堂座位；詩班席
教堂內有隔板的固定座位
One of a row of fixed wooden seats with high sides in a church, typically arranged facing the front.
The choir sat in the front stalls of the cathedral during the Christmas service.
聖誕禮拜時，詩班坐在大教堂前排的座位上。
choir stall — seat in a church
Each carved wooden stall in the chapel has a small kneeler and a prayer book.
小教堂裡的每個木雕座位都有跪墊和祈禱書。
The bishop's stall was decorated with intricate carvings of saints and angels.
主教的座位上有精美的聖人和天使雕刻。
用法筆記
Mostly used in British English in the context of traditional churches, cathedrals, and chapels. 'Stall' here refers to an individual seat with armrests, not a bench pew.
5. The seats on the main lower level of a theater or cinema, closest to the stage o
正廳前排座位
戲院或電影院一樓座位區
The seats on the main lower level of a theater or cinema, closest to the stage or screen.
We booked three stalls seats for the Saturday evening performance of the ballet.
我們訂了三張週六晚場芭蕾舞表演的正廳前排座位。
stalls seats — main floor theater seats
The front stalls offer the best view of the stage, but they are also the most expensive.
正廳前排座位視野最好，但也最貴。
Anong preferred sitting in the stalls rather than the balcony because she liked seeing the actors' faces.
Anong 比較喜歡坐正廳前排，因為她喜歡看演員的表情。
- orchestra
American English equivalent
- main floor
American English equivalent
用法筆記
British English term. In American English, 'orchestra seats' or 'main floor' is used instead. Always plural ('the stalls') when referring to the area.
常見錯誤
6. A dangerous flight condition in which an aircraft's wings stop producing enough
失速；升力喪失
飛機因攻角過大而失速
A dangerous flight condition in which an aircraft's wings stop producing enough lift, causing the plane to drop suddenly.
The pilot recovered from the stall by lowering the nose of the aircraft.
飛行員透過降低機頭來從失速狀態中恢復。
stall — aerodynamic condition
All trainee pilots must practice stall recovery techniques in a flight simulator.
所有實習飛行員都必須在飛行模擬器中練習失速恢復技巧。
stall recovery — standard aviation training term
The safety report said the crash was caused by an aerodynamic stall at low altitude.
安全報告指出，這起墜機是由於低空空氣動力失速所致。
- loss of lift
descriptive non-technical phrase
- lift recovery
regaining normal flight
用法筆記
Technical aviation term. A stall is not an engine failure — it happens when the wing meets the air at too steep an angle. 'Stall speed' is the minimum speed needed to maintain lift.
常見錯誤
7. A trick or clever excuse used to delay someone or prevent progress, especially i
拖延策略；緩兵之計
用來誤導或延誤的計策
A trick or clever excuse used to delay someone or prevent progress, especially in negotiations or investigations.
The lawyer accused the company of using legal stalls to avoid paying compensation.
律師指控該公司利用法律拖延手段來避免支付賠償。
legal stall — tactic to delay
The manager's promise to 'look into it next week' was just a stall while the project ran over budget.
經理承諾「下週再研究看看」只是在拖延時間，因為專案已經超支了。
Omar recognized the proposal as a diplomatic stall, designed to buy time for the other side.
Omar 看出這項提議是一種外交拖延策略，目的是為對方爭取時間。
- delay tactic
more transparent, less negative
- stalling tactic
directly related
- ruse
implies deception more strongly
用法筆記
Less common than the verb senses. Often used in formal or journalistic contexts: 'political stall', 'legal stall', 'bureaucratic stall'.